Indie Film Hustle® Podcast: Filmmaking | Screenwriting | Cinematography | Film School | Film Production | Independent Film

Inside the Raindance Film Festival with Founder Elliot GroveToday’s guest is the legendary film author and founder of the Raindance Film Festival Elliot Grove. Elliot is not only the founder of Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. He has produced over hundreds of short films and also five feature films, including the multi-award-winning The Living and the Dead in 2006. He teaches screenwriting and producing in the UK, Europe, Asia and America.Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking and Beginning Filmmaking: 100 Easy Steps from Script to Screen (Professional Media Practice).He has produced over 700 shorts and 6 features including the new action film AMBER.I sat down to talk shop, what the state of indie film is today and all things Raindance. Enjoy my conversation with Elliot Grove.

How to Shoot and Sell a $5000 Micro-Budget Feature Film with Claudia PickeringToday's guest is writer/director/actor/producer Claudia Pickering. She recently wrote and directed the feature film "Frisky" for just $5000. I wanted to have her on the show to discuss the tricks of the trade when making a feature for such a low budget. The film has also played at countless film festivals and won a ton of awards. Check out the trialer below.Two twenty-somethings move to San Francisco to chase their career but end up chasing tail instead.When two twenty-something women move back to San Francisco, where they had met on exchange years earlier, their high career aspirations quickly become sidelined by their sexual interests. While wildly crass and charismatic in their public personas, they are in fact fundamentally at odds on many levels. Their opposing beliefs surrounding responsibility and romance, combined with their close quarters while crashing in an acquaintance's living room, find them thrust onto a fast track to

Finding an Audience for Indie Films in 2018 with Shaked BerensonToday's guest is a returning champion Shaked Berenson from Epic Pictures. On this special edition Sundance episode Shaked and I discuss marketing and finding an audience for your indie films in 2018. We discuss their recent acquisition of the Horror Blog/Brand Dread Central and how you can use today's tools to find your audience. Shaked has produced films like the cult hit Turbo Kid (SXSW Audience Award), Entertainment (Official Sundance Film Festival Selection) and the animated film Space Dogs: Adventure to the Moon. What is great about Shaked is that he has created his own ecosystem. From financing to production to distribution, all under one umbrella. This way he cuts out the middleman and he can keep more of the profits.Thanks again to Media Circus PR who co-produced these podcasts episodes with me. Enjoy my interview with Shaked Berenson. 

How to Package an Indie Film for Investors with Tiffany BoyleToday on the show is Tiffany Boyle from Ramo Law. Tiffany helps indie filmmakers package their projects in a way that helps them attract producers, investors, other top-end actors, and studios. We had a great conversation at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Here's some info on today's guest.Tiffany Boyle has been with Ramo Law since 2009, where she works with the attorneys to review, collaborate, develop, submit and supervise creative materials on behalf of clients within the Firm. Boyle actively works with clients in connection to production and distribution opportunities that bring their new material to life. From television (unscripted/scripted) to feature films to internet properties, she oversees all creative content represented by the firm. Her recent projects include REBIRTH (Netflix original film), YOUTH IN OREGON (starring Christine Applegate, Billy Crudup and Frank Langella), SPRING (premiered in TIFF), THE 12TH HOUR (documentary narrat

Pixar's Coco and the World of Animation with Carlos Moreno Jr.Today on the show is Carlos Moreno Jr. Carlos was the voice of a handful of characters in the Oscar® Nominated Animated Masterpiece "Coco." Coco is, by far, one of the best-animated films I've ever experienced. It one of my top five films of 2017.Carlos Moreno Jr., key to the stellar cast of Pixar's most lauded feature since "Toy Story," is a name you need to know from "Coco," the multi-awarded, "Golden Globe" and "Critic’s Choice" winner, was the headline speaker at the Sundance Latino Filmmakers panel where he will launch the Legacy App. (www.legacyapp.co) with the always appealing, creator Mel Ramirez.  This app allows you to share your photos and videos with your loved ones long after you have passed.This app allows you to share your photos and videos with your loved ones long after you have passed.  A highlight of this stand-alone special Festival programming, is the selection of a unique, top-tier film to premiere after the panel which is Mor

Using Algorithms to Help Sell Your Indie Film with Sundance's Liz and JessSundance is back on the show. I had the pleasure of having returning champion Liz Manashil (listen to her interview here) and Jess from the Sundance Institute. We discuss the very cool things they are up to at the Sundance Creative Distribution Fellowship and how they are using data to help indie filmmakers find an audience and sell their films.Thanks again to Media Circus PR who co-produced these podcasts episodes with me. Enjoy my interview with Liz and Jess.

Insider Tips on How to Crowdfund Your Film on Kickstarter with Elise McCaveOn the show today is Elise McCave, Director of Narrative Film at Kickstarter. Elise drops some major knowledge bombs on this episode. She goes over what it takes to have a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, what makes a good pitch video and we discuss some success stories as well.Thanks again to Media Circus PR who co-produced these podcasts episodes with me. Enjoy my interview with Elise McCave. 

From Indie Films to Oscar Nominations with David PermutI'm back from Sundance! What a ride this year. So much to tell you guys. The first interview in my Sundance Film Festival Interview Series (co-produced with my buddies Adam Bowman at Media Circus PR) is legendary producer David Permut.David has produced almost 40 feature films in the course of his career. Here are a few trailers of David Permut's work.His new film, The Polka King starring Jack Black,  just got released on Netflix. Check out the trailer. Enjoy my interview with David Permut.

How to Become a Working Director without Film School with Cole WalliserI've always said that "film school" isn't for everyone. There is so much noise and advertising telling filmmakers that you NEED to go to film school to be taken seriously. I disagree COMPLETELY and so does today's guest! On the show today is director Cole Walliser. Here's a bit on Cole's amazing filmmaking journey so far.Cole Walliser, born in Steveston, BC Canada and bred in Vancouver, now lives in Los Angeles doing most of the same things he did in his country of birth – playing guitar, drinking scotch and directing cool videos.“I started with filming skateboarding at about 14. For some reason everyone kept handing me the camera. I guess I had a knack for getting cool shots. Music videos has been a natural progression.”Once he decided to pursue directing as a career, he knew he had to be in Los Angeles to reach his full potential. In LA, Cole began shooting videos for professional dancer friends on a pro-bono basis when a dancer, returni

Sundance Film Festival Survival Guide   This year will be the sixth time I've been to the Sundance Film Festival and I've picked up a few tips and tricks on how to survive the experience. I've many many mistakes when traveling to the festival. From the wrong shoes to not having Chapstick. These small things can turn into nightmares if not done correctly. I teamed up with Adam Bowman from Media Circus (listen to his past IFH Podcast Episode here). Adam is a true veteran of the Sundance FilmFestival, this year being his seventeenth outing. Between the both of us we have you covered. Also if you want to get a behind the scenes / backstage pass to the Sundance Film Festival check out #crashsundance during the festival to see all the inside stuff we are creating from the festival. Take a listen and take some notes. Enjoy and I hope to see you at the Sundance Film Festival this year!

How to Find an Audience for Your Indie Film with Media CircusToday on the show we have Adam Bowman and Paul Koshlap from Media Circus PR. These guys specialize in marketing for indie films and filmmakers. They handle digital marketing, public relations, digital advertising and much more. We discuss the state of indie film marketing, how to find an audience for your film and tips and tricks to get you film and yourself out there. Enjoy my interview with Adam and Paul from Media Circus.Right-click here to download the MP3 Download on iTunes DirectWatch on IFH YouTube ChannelSlamdance / Blackmagic Design WorkshopJoin Alex Ferrari as he shares tips and tricks using Blackmagic Design cameras and post-production workflow. He discusses handling the post for Hulu's Dimension 404, directing the Nerdist/Legendary Digital's series The S.P.A.A.C.E Program and his debut feature film This is Meg.The workshop will be on Saturday, January 20th at the Treasure Mountain Inn from 2:30pm-4:30pm, followed by a happy hour. Slamdan

Out of Time & the Back to the Future DeLorean Documentary with Steve ConcotelliToday on the show we have documentary filmmaker Steve Concotelli, the director of OUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine. Out of Time is the documentary about the restoration of the screen used Back to the Future DeLorean Time Machine.We discuss how the film came to be, his Kickstarter campaign, getting the rights from Universal, working with Back to the Future co-creator, producer and overall Godfather Bob Gale and how he distributed his little indie doc.Here's some more info on Steve.Steve has been a creative force in the entertainment industry for over 10 years.  He began his career as an Editor on G4's "Attack of the Show".  Since then, Steve has worked nearly every job in production including Writer, Producer, Videographer, and ultimately, Executive Producer.  His clients span the creative landscape and include Disney, Crackle, Paramount, Science Channel, Discovery, TruTV, Spike and more. In 2015, Steve partnered with

How to Get Up Off Your Butt & Make It Happen in 2018 with Eric ThomasHappy New Years everyone. 2018 is going to be insane!! I wanted to give you a gift to get your year off to an explosive start. Today's guest is Global Phenomenon Eric Thomas.Eric Thomas, Ph.D. is a critically acclaimed author, World-renowned speaker, educator, pastor and audible.com Audie Awards Finalist. ET, as he is better known, has taken the world by storm, with his creative style and high-energy messages. His words continue to impact tens of millions of people in several hundred countries across the planet!  Through a significant social media presence and his recent domestic and international tours, “ET, The Hip Hop Preacher” has become a global phenomenon!As CEO of his Consulting Firm, ETA LLC., Eric has led his team through the doors of dozens of reputable organizations and Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric, Quicken Loans, AT&T, Nike, Under Armour, New Balance and UPS.  He has also consulted for major Universities

How to Work Creatively with People and Not Kill Each OtherOne of the biggest issues filmmakers, screenwriters and creative types in general have is working with other people. Creativity is very personal to an artist, in any part of the process. I've seen first-hand decade-long friendships get destroyed by "creative differences".I could see the deterioration of relationships in my edit suite over the years; producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, etc. I personally lost friends along my filmmaking journey because of creative differences.The biggest problem I see is that people need to set up a clear distribution of responsibilities for each person in the party. Create sandboxes and rules of play in those sandboxes. Miscommunication is death in any relationship.In this episode, I go over a few techniques that have helped me work creatively with people. I can't tell how sad it is when you lose a friendship over a project, I hope this episode can help you avoid this unneeded pain. We make movies. We tell

Directing Studio Feature Films in Hollyweird with Demian LichtensteinToday's guest is director Demian Lichtenstein. I had the pleasure of being on a panel with Demian at a film festival a few weeks ago. His generous approach to sharing his experience, knowledge and Hollywood war stories was breathtaking. I had to have him on the show to drop some knowledge and truth bombs on the IFH Tribe.Demian has amassed a vast body of work in the music video industry since receiving his BFA from New York University in 1988, leading to his current status as a feature film director. Some past projects include directing Music Videos for Sting & Eric Clapton, Grandmaster Caz, Shabba Ranks, Queen Latifah, West of Eden (Best Independent Video/MTV 1987), Cypress Hill, Gloria Estefan, Sony, Warner Bros, Columbia Pictures, MCA, Epic, Island, Atlantic, Tommy Boy, IRS Records, World Hunger Project, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.Demian is a member of the DGA (Director's Guild of America) and was Chairman of the New York Inde

Cinematic Masterclass with Philip BloomToday on the show we have a legend in the filmmaking blogosphere, award-winning cinematographer Philip Bloom. Philip is a world-renowned filmmaker who, for the past 10 years of his 27-year career has specialized in creating incredible cinematic images no matter what the camera. He started blogging back in the early 2000's before anyone was really doing it. I personally have been following him for years.Here's some more info on Philip Bloom:Some of his most iconic work was created with Canon DSLRs. As one of the biggest evangelists for their use in productions his website became the place to go to for budding filmmakers as well as experienced ones keen to embrace the new technology. His site now regularly has over 1,000,000 visitors a month.His use of Canon DSLRs to shoot part of Lucasfilms’ last movie “Red Tails” proved a huge point to the naysayers. This technology was proved very viable in large-scale productions.He has become very well known for his in-depth video rev

IFH 207: Inside the Visual Effects of Star Wars: The Last Jedi & ILM with Dan CreganEver wonder what it is like to work at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) on a Star Wars film? Today's guest is one of my best friends, Dan Cregan. Dan and I go way, way back. He worked with my doing VFX on my first film BROKEN.We've continued to work together over the past 12 years. Dan has moved up in the VFX world working on blockbuster films like:Star Wars: Rogue OneStar Wars: The Last JediThe Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugSpectreThe MartianGuardians of the GalaxyX-Men: ApocolypsePirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No TalesFantastic FourDawn of the Planet of the Apes I wanted to bring Dan back on the show to share his experience working behind the scenes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and ILM. Enjoy my conversation with Dan Cregan. May the force be with you.

Crossover Episode: Just Shoot It PodcastI thought it would be fun to do a crossover episode with filmmaking podcast Just Shoot It with hosts Oren Kaplan and Matt Enlow. I was invited down to their studios to record a "recorded live" episode and we had a ball.The conversation was energetic and turn heated in a few places. We talked about directing, USC Film School Grads, the state of indie films, the wonderful world of digital series and much more. It's a great listen. Enjoy my conversation with Oren Kaplan and Matt Enlow of the Just Shoot It Podcast.

How to Pitch Your Screenplay in 60 Seconds with Michael HaugeYou walk onto an elevator and just before the door closes Steven Spielberg gets on. You have 60 secs to pitch him your latest screenplay. What do you do? Your goal is to have your audience say “yes, I understand, and I care” after reading or watching your brand story. If your audience just says “now I know” then you have successfully informed them but not enough to make them care, to make them stay to whatever you have to say next. Your career can be made in 60 seconds - if you make the right pitch!Today's guest is returning champion Michael Hauge. He is the best-selling author of Writing Screenplays That Sell (now in its 20th Anniversary Edition) and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read. According to Will Smith,“No one is better than Michael Hauge at finding what is most authentic in every moment of a story.” – Will SmithWe discuss pitching techniques, the pitch story arch, and much more. After p

Why Do You Want to Be a Filmmaker?On today's show, I ask the simple question"Why do you want to be a filmmaker or screenwriter?"This single question is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself. Understanding the answer can set you up for success in your career or ultimate failure. It has taken me over 20 years to honestly answer that question and it has made all the difference in the world. I just wished I would've answered it in my 20's and no my 40's. Enjoy and if you find value in this episode please share it with as many filmmakers, screenwriters, and artists you can.